Ex-Arsenal player urges £26 million Ligue 1 star to join Gunners

Former Arsenal star Alex Hleb has backed Monaco's Aleksandr Golovin to achieve great success in modern football - and he believes that he would be a perfect signing for the Gunners in the summer.

He thinks that Golovin joining Arsenal would represent the 47-cap Russian international reaching 'a higher level' and that Mikel Arteta's attractive brand of attacking football 'suits' Golovin's approach to the game. He has been at Monaco since 2018, making 155 Ligue 1 appearances and scoring 27 goals so far.

Hleb played for Arsenal between the years of 2005 and 2008, making 98 Premier League appearances and scoring seven goals along the way. He failed to collect any silverware during his stint at the Emirates Stadium, but he did help Arsenal reach the final of the Champions League in 2006 and the League Cup in 2007.

What did Alex Hleb say about the potential of Aleksandr Golovin joining Arsenal?

Speaking to Championat, Hleb said: "I know that Aleksandr [Golovin] has become one of the leaders of Monaco and plays good football. I liked him before; fast, creative, sees the field well. Every footballer wants to reach a higher level. I think that Aleksandr himself will decide where to move.

"If you want to grow, you must move forward. Monaco are a good European team, but they are not at the top. If there are offers from top clubs, then it’s time to move on and set higher goals for yourself. But you need to approach this wisely; go where the system suits your style.

"We need a team that plays beautiful combination football. And the main thing is that the coach wants to see you on the team and trusts you. We need to weigh up everything. Golovin would fit well into these teams, Barca and Arsenal football suits him."